Caroling Project at Haven for Hope

The Classical music scene is all abuzz about musicians reaching beyond the concert hall. For some who haven’t yet become live music fans, the concert hall is intimidating. There are rules. Rules about applause. Rules about dress. Rules about talking. Rules about taking flash photographs.

The rules all have good, common sense reasons behind them. You don’t want to destroy the quiet canvas that is necessary for your fellow concertgoer to enjoy the music. But, for some it is a barrier. So, some Classical musicians have decided to do something about it. Several opera companies have staged “flash mob” performances in shopping malls. Cellist Matt Haimovitz has made a career out of playing in rock clubs and now a few members of the venerable Cleveland Orchestra are trying that too.

There is another great reason to leave the concert hall — your audience just can’t get there. For more than twenty years, musicians of the San Antonio Symphony have volunteered their time at Christmas to play in hospitals and juvenile detention centers. They call it the Caroling Project and it has been going on all month. Today is the last performance in this year’s series and it is at Haven for Hope at lunchtime.

The musicians in San Antonio have added one additional twist to their volunteer work — they bring some of their best students with them on their traveling concerts. They want to mentor these young players and teach them the value of giving back through music. Here is a link, of a video shot by TPR’s John Clare, of a string quartet playing at the Bexar County Correctional Facility on December 18.